A 12-YEAR-OLD male had been arrested for allegedly raping his four-year-old cousin sister at Maokao Village, Marumbo in West Guadalcanal on March 21.
Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau told reporters at his weekly conference that the 12-year-old male suspect is yet to be charged.
“The alleged victim was left with the parents of the suspect to look after her while the mother came to Honiara,” Mangau said.
Mangau said the parents of the suspect, however, left the alleged victim with the suspect and they went to their bush garden.
“It is alleged that while the suspect and the alleged victim were alone, the suspect allegedly pulled the victim into a bedroom of his house and raped her,”
Mangau added that no one actually knew what happened after the incident.
He said it was on the next day on March 22, when the alleged victim’s mother returned from Honiara that she noticed her child was not walking comfortably and also experienced bleeding when she urinated.
Mangau said the alleged victim’s mother later discovered what happened to her daughter and immediately transported her to the Tangarare mini Hospital where she was seen by medical staff at the Hospital.
The medical staff confirmed that penetration occurred during the incident.
The matter was then reported to the police and on April 1 the police at Henderson Police Station went and arrested the suspect.
Mangau said the suspect spent a night at the Henderson Police Station custody and was released the next day to stay with relatives.
He said police investigators at the Henderson Police Station are waiting to speak to the father of the alleged victim as they continue to investigate the incident.
The alleged victim’s father was away working at the King Solomon logging camp also in the Marumbo area at the time of the alleged offending.
Following the alleged incident, Mangau said reconciliation was held between the two parties which saw a compensation of $7,000 in cash, two pigs, and a Guadalcanal Traditional Shell money Malona worth at $1,000 was paid to the alleged victim’s family.
Mangau explained that though a reconciliation was held as a traditional norm to appease both families, police will continue investigating the alleged incident and will lay appropriate charges against the suspect.
The police chief is calling on members of the community in the Marumbo area who may have information to come forward and report it to the police.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN BONGIDANI
Newsroom, Honiara
